Truancy rate twice average

MANCHESTER school children have improved their attendance - but many are still missing out on vital parts of their education. Figures released today confirm the city has made some inroads in challenging truants but more progress is needed.

A number of initiatives have been promoted at city schools to encourage attendance and support parents in bringing children to school.

The primary school with the worst truancy in the region and the ninth worst in the country was Gorton Mount primary with 4.6 per cent of lessons missed - almost 10 times the national average.

Next worst were Bowker Vale in Crumpsall and Ravensbury Community in Clayton with truancy rates of 4.1 per cent.

St Patrick's RC primary in Collyhurst had the highest rate of unauthorised attendance in the region of 10.7 per cent - twice the national average.

Attendance was also a problem in Rochdale, where nearly as many lessons (0.9 per cent) were missed through truancy as in Manchester. Authorised absence rates for the rest of Greater Manchester showed the best attendance was in Trafford where 4.4 per cent of lessons were missed, followed by Stockport (4.8), Bolton and Bury (both 4.9), Oldham and Wigan (5.1), Tameside and Rochdale (5.3), and Salford (5.5).

Nationally 5.2 per cent of class time was missed through authorised absence and 0.5 per cent wasted through truancy.